Air-gun.



PATENTED JUNE 16, 1908.

2 siIRRTs-SHRRT 1.

A. H. M. DRIVER R G. NORMAN.

AIR GUN'. APPLICATION FILED-NOV. 19. 1906.

WITNESSES 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

@eo/rye 77077110.6222/ No. 891,211. PATENTED JUNE 16 A. H. M. DRIVER & G. NORMAN.

' AIR GUN.

APPLIoATIoN FILED Nov. 1s. lana.

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AUGUSTUS HENRY MURRAY DRivER MINGEAM, ENGLAND, AsSiGNoRS COMPANY LIMITED, OF SMALL HEATH, NEAR BIRMINGHAM,

AND GEORGE NORMAN, OF SMALL HEATH, NEAR BIR- OE ONE-THIRD TO THE BIRMINGHAM SMALL ARMS ENGLAND.

AIR-GUN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 167 1908.

Application filed November 19, 1906. Serial No. 344,106.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, AUGUSTUS HENRY MURRAY DRIVER and GEORGE NORMAN, subjects of the King of Great Britain, residing at Small Arms Factory, Armory Road, Small I-Ieath, near Birmingham, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Air-Guns, of which the following is a speciiication. l

This invention has relation to air-guns and air-rifles of that type in which the barrel and breech block are made solid with a chamber containing the main-spring and plunger and in which a rotary loading-plug is mounted transversely within the said breech-block and formed with a pellet chamber adapted, when the plug is operated by means of an external lever, to be brought either into vertical line with a charging aperture in the top of the breech-block to permit of the introduction of a pellet thereinto, or into line with the bore of the barrel and with the air passage from the spring chamber, so as to present the inserted pellet in the proper position for firing. In ordinary arms of this type, the loading plug, which is of taper form, is fitted within a taper hole having both its ends open to the opposite sides of the breech block, and is retained in position by means of a washer and a Screw applied to its smaller end. This method of securing the plug is not, however, satisfac tory as the screw is apt to become loose from shock, and necessitates the use of keeperscrews or equivalent supplementary means to prevent the connecting screw from vworking out.

The object of the present invention is to provide ries and guns of the type above referred to with improved loading plug arrangements in which the thrust or eiort of a suitably-applied spring or spring-device is utilized'to keep the plug in its proper position, to prevent same from working out or becoming loose, and to automatically take up or compensate for all wear, so that the joints of the breech are always kept air-tight, while incidentally this method of Securing the plugs admits of the taper hole in the breech block being closed at the one end, thus leaving the corresponding side of the said block solid, which reduces the number ol" oints at the breech and minimizes the risk of air escaping therethrough.

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents a side elevation of the breech part of an air-ri'le of the solid-barrel type which is fitted with improved loading plugv arrangements in accordance with one form of this invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section of Fig. 1 upon the dotted line fc. Fig. 3 is another part sectional view, similar to Fig. 2 but showing the loading plug in elevation. Fig. 4 is a longitudinalsection of Fig. 3 upon the dottedline @c1 and Fig. 5 is a similar section but taken upon the dotted line 002 in the plane of the pellet chamber in the plug. Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the breech block with the loading plug removed. Fig. 7 is a detail view of the loading plug. Fig. S is a detail view of the compression spring removed from the loading plug. Fig. 9 is a sectional elevation of the plug retain ing bracket. Fig. 1Q is a side elevation of a portion of the barrel showing the breech block, the operative parts being removed therefrom. Fig. 11 is a detail view of the loading plug removed from the breecl Fig. 12 is an end elevation of the Spring. Fig. 13 is a sectional side elevation of the plug retaining bracket. F ig. 14 is a slightly modiiied form of the invention showing the spring blade rigidly secured to the said bracket. Fig. 15 is a similar view to Eig. 14, showing the spring blade pivotally connected to the side bracket Fig. 16 is a sectional view of the breech taken at right angles on Fig. 14. Eig. 17 is an elevation of the breech taken at right angles on Fig. 15.

The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts inthe said Figs. 1 to 17.

In the construction represented in these figures, a taper or conoidal hole or socket a is formed transversely, from the left hand side, through the breech block l) of the rifle, and the right hand or smaller end of this socket is closed by the solid wall al. The correspondingly-tapered loading plug c which has a turning fit within the said socket and carries an operating lever c1 at its outer en'd, is also counterbored axially for a suitable distance to form both a chamber' c2 for the reception of a concealed thrust spring d and a bearing for a dowel-pin or cylindrical register c1 which is carried upon the inner face of a rigid bracket or plate c and is designed to serve both as an abutment for the outer end of the spring d and as a pivotal support for thel loading plug which turns about the said dowel-pin or register when the lever is operated for taking the pelletechamber into either its loading or firing positions.

The concealed spring d is inserted, in a condition vof compression, in the axial spring chamber ol the plug and is confined therein by the register-pin on the said rigid bracket which thus takes the whole of the outward thrust of the said spring while the inward thrust is exerted against the lloading-plug and tends to keep it up tight within its socket and to automatically compensate for lany Wear in the socketing parts.

The side bracket is attached to the breech block by a pair of screws ezor other means which will eilectually resist the spring thrust and insure rigid support for the register-pin and the opposite edges c3, e4 of the `foot of the said bracket are adapted to coperate with suitable shoulders c3, c4, upon the outer end of the plug, or upon ythe edge of its lever, to provide a system of stops for limiting the rotatory movement of the plug and preventing the turning of the same beyond the pre scribed loading and firing positions.

Instead of arranging the thrust-spring in a counter-bored chamber in the plug and con'lining the same by the dowelfpin or bearing extension of the side bracket, a construction such as is represented in elevation in Fig. 14 and inpartial section in Fig. 16 may be adopted, in which the end-thrust is applied to the plug by a spring blade or yielding tongue d which is attached at one end to the bracket while its other and free end bears against the outer face of the said plug and keeps the same tight within its' socket. In the particular arrangement shown in the said Figs. 14 and 16, the spring blade is a iiXture to the side-bracket, but it is obvious that, as a vfurther alternative, (which is represented in Figs. 15 and 17) the said tongue d may be pivotally connected at its lower end to the side bracket (by, means of a screw d2 having a plain shank da) so as to admit of the device being turned clear of the end of the plug when it is desired to withdraw the latter from its socket for cleaning or other purposes. If necessary the spring-limb shown in Figs. 14 to 17 may also be utilized as a means 'of retaining the plug in the iiring position, or in the loading and liring positions, by providing the inner side of its free end with a tooth or rib which Will engage with a groove or with one or other of apairof grooves in the end of the dowel when the plug is set for firing or loading.

The means for applying spring end-thrust to the plug may obviously be varied or modi- *ied in other ways without departing from the present invention and may be used with plugs fitted into breech-sockets which are closed or left solid on the one side, or with breech blocks in which the plug socket is formed through from side to side. y

To facilitate the charging of rifles and guns of the type to which the invention relates, the loading aperture in the top of the breech block may be made countersunk and suflici'e'ntly large to enable the pellet to be dropped through into the coincident chamber of the plug by the shooters lingers, so that the charging rods which have usually to be employed may be dispensed with.

Having fully described our invention, what we desire to claim and secure by Letters Patent isz- In an air-gun, the combination of' a loading plug socket, a rotatable loading plug having a chamber in one end thereolva compensating spring located in said chamber, a racket secured on the body oi the gun and having a register pin, the latter being adapted to engage the outer end of said chamber and serve as an abutment for sating spring.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands in witnesses.

` AUGUSTUS HENRY MURRAY DRIVER. GEORGE NORMAN. i'tnesses:

HENRY L. KERRETT,

HARRY C. PRATT.

the compenpresence of two subscribingl 

